Spark-arrester



UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

STIMMEL LUTZ, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPARK-ARRESTER.

Speccation of Letters Patent No. 14,567, dated April 1, 1856.

7 10 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, STIMMEL Lu'rz, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Spark-Arrester for Locomotives and also for Stationary Steam-Engines, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speciiication, Figure l being a perspective view of my improved spark arrester; Fig. 2, a vertical section thereof; Fig. 3, a horizontal section in the plane m, Fig. l; Figs. 1l, 5, and 6, views of parts detached.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

A, is the smoke pipe, closed at its upper end by a strong metallic plate D, or its equivalent, substantially as shown in Fig. 2.

B, B, are branch pipes, extending horizontally a convenient distance, and then bending or curving up vertically, as seen in Fig. 2. There may be any convenient number of these branch pipes, care being taken to make the aggregate areas of their cross sect-ions equal to, or greater than, that of the smoke pipe A. This is not absolutely essential but preferable, so that the iiue space may increase upward.

C, is a reservoir or cap, inverted so that its open end shall cover the smoke pipe and branches thereof, the upper end and sides being perfectly tight. In the center of its top, or upper end, is a cavity Gr, shaped substantially like the hollow frustum of a cone, or pyramid. Through the top of this cavity is an aperture, which is closed by a valve I-I, except when the ire is kindling in the furnace; during which time it is kept open, in order to facilitate the draft. The valve may be controlled by means of a rod I, within the reach of the engineer, or by any other convenient device. Said reservoir, or cap, rests on projections, or shoulders, J, J, on the branch pipes B, B, or by some equivalent means. Its top is represented as slightly convex, but that is not essential; nor is the particular shape of the cavity G, above described, necessary. Any form, which will collect the sparks into the center of the cap, will answer.

K, is a jacket, or external case, st-arting from the smoke pipe A, some distance below its branches B, B, thence extending upward, in the form of an inverted cone P, to about the height of the bottom of the cap C; thence upward, in a cylindrical form, so as to leave an annular space around said cap, or reservoir, of suicient capacity to allow the free passage of the smoke up through it, to a little distance above the top of said cap; and finally terminating in a flaring top,

substantially as represented in Ythe drawings. Across the throat (or top of the cylindrical portion) of this jacket, is situated a reticulated, or perforated, partition M; and over the top is placed a cap L, of similar construction, but having its meshes, or perforations, larger than those of the partition M, say in the same proportion as the mouth of the jacket is larger than its throat.

N, N, are pipes extending upward from the exhaust-steam pipes O, O, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2) and terminating with horizontal T shaped branches, (as seen in Figs. 8 and 6,) in the annular space E. The T shaped branches are curved so as to conform to the shape of said annular space.

Q, Q, Q, are pipes, (of a convenient number, say from l to 3, or 4,) extending from the conical space P, downward any convenient distance, and formin communications between the interior of t e spark arrester and the open air. The upper ends may project a few inches into the interior of the space P, in order to prevent the ashes or cinders lodging therein, as they fall down; and the lower ends are provided with flaring mouths W, W, W, which may be turned horizontally forward so as to receive additional air by t-he motion of the locomotive. There are also dampers R, S, T, in these pipes, for regulating the quantity of, or entirely stopping, the currents through them. The use of these pipes is to increase the draft of the spark arrester.-

E, E, (Fig. 1,) are doors opening into the bottom of the conical space P, for clearing out occasionally the ashes and cinders collected there.

The operation of the spark arrester is as follows The smoke, loaded with the sparks, as it ascends through the smoke pipe A, first strikes the plate D, heating it quite hot, and is then deflected through the branch pipes B, B, from which it passes, in several currents, into the cap, or reservoir C. Here kthe momentum of the sparks causes them to ascend to the top of the reservoir and by means of the cavity G, are mostly concentrated into the center thereof and fall upon the top of the plate D; where they are in a great measure consumed by the great heat of said plate. The remaining cinders pass with the smoke down around the bottom of the reservoir, into the annular space E, where they are enveloped in the vapor of condensed steam issuing from the eXhaust pipes N, N, and completely extinguished. Here, in the form of moistened ashes and oinders, all the remains of the sparks fall down into the conical space P, while the smoke and draft proceed upward and out at the top of the arrester. Any cinders which may be carried up through the annular space E, by the force of the draft, are arrested by the partition M.

The Object of the cap L, having larger meshes, or perforations, than the partition M, is to exclude, as much as possible, any gusts of air, Or other substances, from the Outside, and also, in connection with the flaring shape of the top of the jacket K, to assist in the discharge of the smoke. rIhe cinders or extinguished sparks are all arrested by the partition L. Perhaps said cap might be dispensed with, but I believe it to act beneficially and therefore prefer its use.

I do not Claim simply a cap, or deflector, for arresting the sparks, while the smoke proceeds onward; nor do I claim partitions, or caps, of wire gauze or perforated sheets of metal, alone; but

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

The combination O-f the plate D, branch pipes B, B, and the cap, or reservoir, C, provided with a central cavity G, or its equivalent, in its upper end; arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

The above specification Of my new and improved spark arrester signed by me this twenty second day of January 1856.

STIMMEL LUTZy lVitnesses JOHN THOMPSON, JAMES BLACK. 

